Narrative:

Coming into mem, we were handed off to approach control on 119.10 who set us up on radar vectors for the ILS runway 36L. We called the airport in sight and were told 'cleared visual runway 36L, contact mem approach 126.90.' upon contacting 126.90 we were told cleared runway 36L, but never told to contact tower. During this time, my new copilot was flying, got a little fast, so I said I've got the airplane -- you've got the radio. As I was busy slowing the aircraft for landing we thought from the last transmission that we were cleared to land. On very short final, I noticed we were still on frequency 126.90 and told copilot. He called on frequency and got no response, so he switched to tower right as we were touching down and responded xyz with you runway 36L and the controller said 'it's usually custom to call tower before landing, contact ground 121.90 when clear.' we were never told to switch over to tower by controller on 126.90 which is not even a standard frequency for memphis and on numerous occasions late at night we have been handled all the way to the ramp on nonstandard frequency. But the bottom line is he said 'cleared runway 36L' but did not say 'cleared to land runway 36L.' I got busy and should have caught it, but after being cleared twice on 2 different frequencys, it slipped right by me -- but it won't happen again, that I can promise. We now have it written on our before landing checklist.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC OF AN LTT JET LANDED WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative: COMING INTO MEM, WE WERE HANDED OFF TO APCH CTL ON 119.10 WHO SET US UP ON RADAR VECTORS FOR THE ILS RWY 36L. WE CALLED THE ARPT IN SIGHT AND WERE TOLD 'CLRED VISUAL RWY 36L, CONTACT MEM APCH 126.90.' UPON CONTACTING 126.90 WE WERE TOLD CLRED RWY 36L, BUT NEVER TOLD TO CONTACT TWR. DURING THIS TIME, MY NEW COPLT WAS FLYING, GOT A LITTLE FAST, SO I SAID I'VE GOT THE AIRPLANE -- YOU'VE GOT THE RADIO. AS I WAS BUSY SLOWING THE ACFT FOR LNDG WE THOUGHT FROM THE LAST XMISSION THAT WE WERE CLRED TO LAND. ON VERY SHORT FINAL, I NOTICED WE WERE STILL ON FREQ 126.90 AND TOLD COPLT. HE CALLED ON FREQ AND GOT NO RESPONSE, SO HE SWITCHED TO TWR RIGHT AS WE WERE TOUCHING DOWN AND RESPONDED XYZ WITH YOU RWY 36L AND THE CTLR SAID 'IT'S USUALLY CUSTOM TO CALL TWR BEFORE LNDG, CONTACT GND 121.90 WHEN CLR.' WE WERE NEVER TOLD TO SWITCH OVER TO TWR BY CTLR ON 126.90 WHICH IS NOT EVEN A STANDARD FREQ FOR MEMPHIS AND ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS LATE AT NIGHT WE HAVE BEEN HANDLED ALL THE WAY TO THE RAMP ON NONSTANDARD FREQ. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS HE SAID 'CLRED RWY 36L' BUT DID NOT SAY 'CLRED TO LAND RWY 36L.' I GOT BUSY AND SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT, BUT AFTER BEING CLRED TWICE ON 2 DIFFERENT FREQS, IT SLIPPED RIGHT BY ME -- BUT IT WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN, THAT I CAN PROMISE. WE NOW HAVE IT WRITTEN ON OUR BEFORE LNDG CHKLIST.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.